Apparatus for marking sunken vessels.



No. 786,126. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

P. W. JOHNSON. APPARATUS FOR MARKING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MAM *5 W No. 786,126. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1905. I P. w. JOHNSON.

APPARATUS FOR MARKING SUNKEN VBSSELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1903.

A a SHEEN-SHEET 2.

M ATTORNEYS PAT NTBnMARrzs, 1905.

F. W. JOHNSON. APPARATUS FOR MARKING SUNKEN VESSELS;

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET B.

WI TNESSES:

' bell will be continually sounded.

UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WILYAM JOHNSON, OF DAWSON, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN P. PETERSON, OF DAWSON, CANADA.

APPARATUS FOR MARKING SUNKEN VESSELS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,126, dated March 28, 1905.

Application filed September 23, 1903. Serial No. 174,309.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILYAM J OHNSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Dawson, in the Yukon Territory, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Marking Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to ameans for marking sunken vessels and also for enabling the immediate recovery of the principal valuables on the shipsuch, for example, as the ships papers, specie, invoices, accounts, and other documents of the purser.

The apparatus comprises, broadly, a buoy which is connected with the vessel to rise to the surface as the vessel sinks. This buoy is of a certain peculiar construction, one feature of which is an annular bell and a ball arranged to roll against the bell as the buoy works in a seaway, the ball being confined until the buoy is actually water-borne. The buoy is connected with a box or vault in which is arranged a reel on which the line is wound, and the vault is also provided with compartments for the storage of the valuables of the ship, as before explained. This box in turn is connected to the vessel by means of a line for which a second reel, permanently mounted on the vessel, is provided. Now, therefore, should the vessel sink the buoy proper will immediately rise to the surface, and on doing so the ball therein will be released and the annular By hauling up on the buoy-line the vault or safe may be raised to the surface, and the position of the ship will yet be marked by the second line, which connects the vault with the bulk.

This specification is an exact description of one example of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a view indicating the position of the parts upon the sinking of the vessel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the various parts of the apparatus when stowed on the vessel, the section being on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4 L of Fig. 2.

indicates, for example, the deck of the vessel.

11 indicates a suitable housing which is built on the deck in one of the deck-houses thereof, said housing 11 having door-openings 12 and doors 14. I prefer to arrange this housing 11 in that part of the deck-house occupied as the pursers ofiice, so that the purser may readily have access to the interior of the housing for a purpose which will be hereinafter fully set forth. The housing is provided with an orificed cover 15 at its top, this being merely rested on the housing and readily removable, and rollers 16 are also mounted on the upper edge of the housing, so that the buoy-line may play easily over the same.

17 indicates the buoy proper, which is constructed, preferably, of sheet metal and has its upper flange 17 rested on the cover 15. Within the buoy is a partition 18, forming a bell-chamber 19, the walls of which have open: ings 20 therein and closures 21. These closures should normally be open, so that sounds may readily issue from the compartment 19. 22 indicates an annular bell placed in said compartment, and 23 indicates a ball which is arranged to roll on the partition 18 and sound the bell, after the usual manner of bell-buoys. Then the buoy is at rest on the deck of the vessel, however, the ball is held inactive in two slings 24, and 25 indicates a relatively slack cord connected with the slings and attached to the housing 11 by means of a flexible connection 26. (See Fig. 4:.) When the buoy rises from the housing, the cord 25 acts to draw together the slings 24, thus releasing the ball 23, and then as the cord 26 becomes taut the buoyant power of the buoy will serve to part the cord and allow the buoy to rise to the surface unrestrained.

27 indicates the vault or safe, which is also constructed, preferably, of sheet metal and provided with two partitions forming side compartments 28 and a middle compartment 29. The side compartments 28 are provided with doors 30, through which access may be had to the interior of the compartments.

These compartments are intended to have the safes of the ship placed therein. The central compartment 29 carries a reel 31, on which is wound the buoy-line 32. Said line passes between guide-rollers 33 in the top of the vault 27 and has a swivel connection with the buoy 17.

34: indicates antifriction-rollers attached to the side of the vault 27 to enable the vault to be readily drawn out from the housing 11, and 35 indicates similar rollers arranged to bear against the flanges of the reel 31, which receives the friction attendant upon the movement thereof, and to steady the reel during its operation. One of the flanges of the reel 31 is provided with ratchet-teeth 36, and 37 indicates a rod forked at its lower end to straddle said flange and bear against the ratchet-teeth to prevent the unwinding of the reel during the engagement of the rod therewith. Said rod 37 is connected to the buoy 17 by shackles 38 and normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 2. When, however, the buoy rises, the rod 37 is disengaged from the ratchet-flange of the reel 31, and said reel is then free to unwind.

The vault 27 has a line 39 connected with its bottom, this line passing through the deck of the vessel and between guide-rollers 40, as shown.

41 indicates a reel on which the line 39 is wound, and 42 indicates a stout casing inclosing the reel to prevent fouling the same should the vessel capsize after sinking and objects within the vessel be precipitated against the reel.

In the use of the apparatus it occupies on the deck of the vessel the position indicated in Fig. 2, it being intended that the ships papers and other valuables, as heretofore mentioned, should be stored within the safes of the compartments 28 of the vault 27. Should the vessel sink, the buoy .17 will lift off the cover 15 of the housing 11 and rise to the surface, as indicated in Fig. 1. Simultaneously the ball 23 will be disengaged and will be free to roll upon the partition 18, sounding the bell 22. \Vhen the buoy is discovered, by hauling up on the line 26 the vault 27 may be raised to the surface and the valuables of the ship at once recovered. As said vault rises the line 39 will be paid out by the reel 41 and will serve still to connect the vessel with the surface of the water.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the intent of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A buoy, constructed of a bell, means for sounding the same, and a releasable means for restraining the sounding means, comprising flexibly-connected slings.

2. A buoy, constructed of a bell, a ball to sound the bell, and a releasable means for normally restraining the ball, comprising flexible slings and a flexible connection between the same.

3. The combination with a vessel, of a buoy, a bell thereon, a means for sounding the bell, and a releasable means for restraining the sounding means, said restraining means having communication with the vessel.

4. The combination with a vessel, of a buoy, a bell thereon, a sounding means therefor, means for restraining the sounding means, and a connection between said restraining means and the vessel, for the purpose specifled.

5. The combination with a buoy, of an annular bell therein, a ball arranged to sound the bell, slings arranged normally to carry the ball, and means connected with the slings for relatively moving them.

6. The combination with a vessel. and a housing thereon, of a buoy support d by the housing, a bell on the buoy, a ball arranged to sound the bell, means for normally holding the ball inactive, and a connection between the said means and the housing for releasing the ball when the buoy rises from the housing.

7. The combination with the deck of a vessel, and a housing built thereon, of a buoy supported by the housing, a line connected with the buoy, a bell on the buoy, a ball arranged to sound the bell, slings arranged normally to hold the ball inactive, and a readilybreakable cord connected with the slings and attached to the housing and serving to move the slings to release the ball when the buoy rises from the housing.

3. A buoy having a partition therein forming a bell-chamber in the upper part of the buoy, an annular bell in said chamber, above and adjacent to the partition, a ball adapted to roll on the partition and sound the bell, slings arranged normally to hold the ball in the upper part of the bell-chamberabove the partition, and means connected with the slings for moving the same to release the ball.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WILYAM JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

FRANCES L. BUTZ, T. CHARMAN. 

